Antimicrobial activity of thin metallic silver flakes, waste products of a manufacturing process

The aim of the research was to develop new products and processes from a manufacturing waste from an Italian metallurgic company. The company produced thin silver metallic films and the production scraps were silver flakes. The possibility to use the silver flakes in water disinfection processes was studied. The antimicrobial activity of the flakes was investigated in batch using Escherichia coli as Gram-negative microorganism model. The flakes did not show any antimicrobial activity, so they were activated with two different processes: thermal activation in reducing atmosphere and chemical activation, obtaining, respectively, reduced flakes (RF) and chemical flakes (CF). The flakes, activated with either treatment, showed antimicrobial activity against E. coli. The kill rate was dependent on the type of activated flakes. The chemical flakes were more efficient than reduced flakes. The kill rate determined for 1 g of CF, 1.0 ± 0.2 min⁻¹, was greater than the kill rate determined for 1 g of RF, 0.069 ± 0.004 min⁻¹. This was confirmed also by the minimum inhibitory concentration values. It was demonstrated that the antimicrobial capability was dependent on flakes amount and on the type of aqueous medium. Furthermore, the flakes maintained their properties also when used a second time. Finally, the antimicrobial activities of flakes were tested in an effluent of a wastewater treatment plant where a variety of heterotrophic bacteria were present.     

Silver impregnated carbon for adsorption and desorption of elemental mercury vapors

The Hg0 vapor adsorption experimental results on a novel sorbent obtained by impregnating a commercially available activated carbon (Darco G60 from BDH) with silver nitrate were reported. The study was performed by using a fundamental approach, in an apparatus at laboratory scale in which a synthetic flue gas, formed by Hg0 vapors in a nitrogen gas stream, at a given temperature and mercury concentration, was flowed through a fixed bed of adsorbent material. Breakthrough curves and adsorption isotherms were obtained for bed temperatures of 90, 120 and 150°C and for Hg0 concentrations in the gas varying in the range of 0.8–5.0 mg/m3. The experimental gas-solid equilibrium data were used to evaluate the Langmuir parameters and the heat of adsorption. The experimental results showed that silver impregnated carbon was very effective to capture elemental mercury and the amount of mercury adsorbed by the carbon decreased as the bed temperature increased. In addition, to evaluate the possibility of adsorbent recovery, desorption was also studied. Desorption runs showed that both the adsorbing material and the mercury could be easily recovered, since at the end of desorption the residue on solid was almost negligible. The material balance on mercury and the constitutive equations of the adsorption phenomenon were integrated, leading to the evaluation of only one kinetic parameter which fits well both the experimentally determined breakthrough and desorption curves.     

偶氮染料分子结构对其生物脱色影响的研究进展

偶氮染料是工业中染料用量最大的一类,不同的分子结构对其微生物脱色性能具有一定的影响作用。文章综述了偶氮染料分子结构中的取代基种类及其取代位置对染料的脱色规律,以及分子特征结构对微生物脱色的量化分析。对目前染料生物脱色规律研究中存在的问题进行了分析,提出相应的对策措施。     

EM菌处理垃圾渗滤液的微生物生态学及机理分析研究

通过DNA提取,PCR扩增和DGGE分离,用BLAST程序进行相似性比较分析体系中微生物群落多样性。所有序列与数据库中16S rDNA序列的相似性在94%~100%之间。从整个挂膜过程考虑,挂膜时间应在8天左右。渗滤液中污染物的去除与投加EM有很大的关系,但是渗滤液中原始菌种的贡献同样不可忽视。投加EM菌剂促进了渗滤液中群落结构演替和功能优化,并最终通过EM菌剂和渗滤液中原始菌群的共同作用实现渗滤液处理系统效能提高和完善。     

土壤溶解性有机质荧光特征及其与铜的络合能力

选取4种不同类型土壤和腐熟鸡粪,透析提取溶解性有机质(DOM),通过凝胶色谱、三维荧光光谱测定并分析了DOM的相对分子质量(M_r)分布、化学结构特征及其与铜的结合能力.结果表明,鸡粪DOM相对分子质量积分面积远高于其他样品,表现出其具有较高的有机物含量,泥炭土次之.暗棕壤、褐土和黑土较低,仅为鸡粪积分面积的4.5%~5%.鸡粪在中分子量段积分面积约占总物质的34.1%,低分子量段和高分子量段分别约占41.7%和24.2%.荧光光谱分析表明,各样品均出现类蛋白荧光峰(E_x/E_m=240~270/300~350 nm),在中、高分子量段(M_r500)暗棕壤存在的荧光峰消失.泥炭土出现了较为独特的可见光区类富里酸荧光峰(E_x/E_m=325/420 nm),该荧光峰和黑土的荧光峰在中、高分子量段(M_r500)都产生了红移现象.鸡粪分别出现了和黑土类似的紫外区类富里酸荧光峰,以及和泥炭土类似的可见光区类富里酸荧光峰,以及一类独特的类蛋白荧光峰(E_x/E_m=280/350 nm),但这种类蛋白荧光峰在中分子量段(500M_r12 000)消失.分析表明泥炭土与Cu的络合常数(lg K)为4.13,其他3种土壤与Cu的络合常数较小且差别不大,集中在2.10~3.10之间.鸡粪与Cu的结合能力最大,络合常数达到6.66.     

湿地基质及阴极面积对人工湿地型微生物燃料电池去除偶氮染料同步产电的影响

本研究采用人工湿地型微生物燃料电池处理偶氮染料X-3B,实现降解偶氮染料同步产电的效果.为了构建性能最优的人工湿地型微生物燃料电池(CW-MFC)系统,本研究主要从湿地基质和阴极面积两个方面研究系统构型对去除X-3B同步产电的影响,提高系统性能.研究表明以粒径10 mm、孔隙率30%的小石子作为湿地基质构造的CW-MFC系统微生物生物量最大,去除X-3B效果最好,脱色率高达92.70%,但其产电性能最差.较小的粒径和孔隙率使底层微生物生物量增加,促进X-3B的去除,但随着湿地基质粒径和孔隙率的减小,导致阴阳极营养物质不足,系统传质阻力增加,抑制了系统产电性能.X-3B的去除效果随着阴极面积的增加而提高直到阴极面积为594 cm~2时取得最大脱色率99.41%.当阴极面积继续增加时,CW-MFC系统产电性能上升趋势趋于平缓,X-3B去除效果呈现下降趋势,这是因为阴极反应过快导致更多的阳极电子输送到阴极用于产生电流,与X-3B发生反应的电子减少,阳极成为提高CW-MFC系统性能的限制因素.     

微生物燃料电池处理含S2-/NH4+废水的研究

以除硫硝化微生物燃料电池(Microbial Fuel Cell,MFC)处理含S~(2-)/NH_4~+的模拟无机废水,研究了不同进水S~(2-)浓度下MFC的产电性能、污染物去除效果和阳极室硫累积情况.结果表明,除硫硝化MFC可实现同步阳极除硫和阴极硝化,并通过非生物电化学作用和生物电化学作用共同产电.进水S~(2-)浓度为(60.8±2.9)、(131.7±2.4)、(161.7±4.5)和(198.1±3.1)mg·L~(-1)时,最佳阳极碳刷清洗周期分别为3、3、3、4个换水周期,前3个进水浓度下的换水周期可分别缩短为6、8和8 h.MFC阴极硝化完全,不受进水S~(2-)浓度影响,但氧从阴极向阳极的渗漏导致阳极库仑效率较低(40%).适当增加进水S~(2-)浓度可增强MFC的产电性能并提高S~(2-)去除负荷和颗粒硫累积比.除硫硝化MFC适宜的进水S~(2-)浓度为(161.7±4.5)mg·L~(-1),相应的最大功率密度为5.77 W·m~(-3),周期产电量为(141.0±5.2)C,S~(2-)去除负荷为(0.31±0.00)g·L~(-1)·d~(-1),颗粒硫累积比达58%.阳极碳纤维丝上沉积有粒径约100 nm的颗粒硫.阳极悬浮物与沉积物相比,悬浮物中S0含量比例较高,而S6+含量比例较低.     

桉树叶提取液还原石墨烯电极提高微生物燃料电池产电性能的研究

将桉树叶提取液绿色还原氧化石墨烯(G-rGO)电极和微生物还原氧化石墨烯(B-rGO)电极依次作为微生物燃料电池(MFC)阳极,采用红外光谱(FTIR)、X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)对所制备的电极进行表征,并采用循环伏安法(CV)、交流阻抗法(EIS)对比2种电极的电化学性能.结果发现,G-rGO阳极的内阻为243.87Ω,应用于MFC时最大功率密度和最大输出电压分别为18.77 W·m~(-3)和760 mV,对照组B-rGO电极的内阻为299.11Ω,将其应用于MFC时最大功率密度和最大输出电压分别为13.16 W·m~(-3)和635 mV,对照组未修饰阳极的内阻为375.21Ω,最大功率密度和最大输出电压分别为8.97 W·m~(-3)和480 mV.研究表明,G-rGO电极电阻更小,导电性能更优越.     

分子识别作用下光催化降解偶氮染料酸性红GR

合成了β-环糊精(β-CD)与偶氮染料酸性红GR(ARGR)的包结物,并采用红外光谱仪对ARGR、β-CD及β-CD与ARGR的包结物进行了表征,表征结果显示,β-CD与ARGR的包结物的特征峰的峰形和强度与β-CD相似,但峰位有明显的偏移,说明ARGR进入了β-CD空腔与β-CD发生了分子识别作用。采用TiO2作为催化剂,研究了β-CD分子识别后ARGR的光催化降解行为,实验结果表明,在ARGR质量浓度为20.0 mg/L、β-CD浓度为1.8×10-5 mol/L、体系pH为4.0、TiO2加入量为1.0 g/L、光催化反应时间为60 min的条件下,经β-CD分子识别后ARGR的光催化降解率可达100%。     

Mitochondrial toxicity and in vitro biological effects of ambient PM2.5 from an urban site in China

Abstract

The roles of PM_2.5-induced mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress on mast cell degranulation were examined in vitro. Mast cells were treated with suspensions of PM_2.5 in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium at concentrations from 25 to 200?mg/L in the absence or presence of 10?mmol/L N-acetyl-L-cysteine. Biological effects and mitochondrial function were assessed by determining cell viability, β-hexosaminidase release, interleukin-4 secretion, reactive oxygen species generation, adenosine triphosphate production, potential alteration of mitochondrial membrane, and activities of mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes I and III. Exposure of mast cells to PM_2.5 induced reduction of adenosine triphosphate production, collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential, and inhibition of the activity of complex III. Co-treatment of mast cells exposed to PM_2.5 with N-acetyl-L-cysteine attenuated cytotoxicity and the production of reactive oxygen species, and decreased the release of β-hexosaminidase and interleukin-4. Evidently, PM_2.5-induced oxidative stress plays an essential role in mitochondrial toxicity and mast cell activation.